THE WHO

THE WHO Perform Mini-Set At European Tour Press Conference

Launch Radio Networks has issued the following report from Howie Edelson:

THE WHO's surviving co-founders Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey appeared in front of the press yesterday (February 8th) in London to announce their upcoming European tour and perform a four-song acoustic set. The appearance occurred at one of London's hippest new venues, The Hospital in Covent Garden, and included scaled-back versions of their 1971 classics 'Won't Get Fooled Again' and 'Behind Blue Eyes' from their Who's Next album and 'Mike Post Theme' and 'Tea & Theatre' from last year's Endless Wire set.

All four songs featured Daltrey on lead vocals and Townshend on acoustic guitar. Townshend joked to the crowd that, "We're playing because Roger wanted to prove to all you cynical press people he could still do this."

The Who's 2007 European tour will kick-off with a six-date UK run on May 22nd in Birmingham, and will include 13 additional dates in France, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, and two additional shows in Britain. The tour will wrap up in Helsinki, Finland on July 9th, marking the Who's first Finnish appearance in over 40 years.

During the press conference, Townshend sang the band's praises, saying that, "It goes on and on and on and on. It gets better and better and better and better. It is more and more fun. If you want to catch the new Who at their most effective for 20 years, come and join us."

Although many of the questions dealt specifically with the upcoming dates, Townshend remained in a friendly mood and listened patiently to a long-winded request from a gravelly-voiced filmmaker who asked for the band's help in donating the proceeds of his movie to charity.

Townshend likened the internet, and the myspace.com personal webpage in particular, to Britain's mid-'60s pirate radio, before recalling hearing the Who's first single 'I Can't Explain' played over the private radio airwaves.

While talking about the band's mid-'60s singles, which often dealt with odd subjects, including 'I'm A Boy', 'Pictures Of Lily', and 'Happy Jack', Townshend commented that bands such as QUEEN have been overlooked by musicologists who didn't understand their sense of irony and humor.

Daltrey mentioned being turned on to OASIS in the '90s by his teenage son, and claimed that their longevity was a testament to their talent. When touching upon the press labeling them derivative of THE BEATLES, Daltrey said that all music was derivative and that the Who themselves were derivative of JOHNNY CASH, THE EVERLY BROTHERS and THE BEACH BOYS.

Townshend said that after the July dates, he and Daltrey would plot out where and when the next Who shows would be. He added that the band's South American debut was cancelled due to lack of ticket sales.

Pete Townshend told us that although the Who's fan base continues to grow, the newer fans differ from the die-hards of the 1970's: "They don't have the same kind of parochial loyalties and needs that they used to have. They're much more eclectic, they're much more generous in spirit, they're much more broadly-based. Do you know what? They love music. Just music. Well, hey-ho!"

Pete Townshend will next perform on February 20th with his girlfriend Rachel Fuller, and other yet-to-be-named guest artists, at Joe's Pub in New York City. The Who kick off their next series of dates on February 23rd in Reno, Nevada at the Reno Events Center. They'll be on the road in the States through the middle of March.